The Girl Next Door
by JosefinErlandsson
Summary: An AU Jate fic. My first ever. Jack lives in an apartment with his sister Amy, and Kate's their new neighbour.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N  
This is my first fic ever -**** an AU story. I changed a lot. Claire's not invloved as Jack sister – at least not yet. The island never happened, Kate never killed Wayne. I changed a lot, so hope you can keep up anyway. And as it says on my presentation: English is not my native language, and I'm only 15, tell me if I do anything wrong, and of course what you  
think about the plot of the story :) Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and the character Amy!  
**

Amy made her way trough the hallway when her new neighbour's door opened, a green eyed, young brunette closed the door behind her, she gave Amy a polite smile as she walked by. Amy smiled back and unlocked the door to her brothers apartment. She tossed her bag on the floor and closed the door.

She found her brother – Jack, in the kitchen, sitting on a stool by the island, drinking his coffee.

He looked up as she entered the room.

"Hey, Amy. How was school?" He asked and took a sip of his coffee.

"Um .. Boring, as usual." she answered, sounding tired and opened the refrigerator, looking for something to eat. She grabbed a plastic box of chicken salad and a fork and went over to the island and sat beside him on one of the stools.

"We have a new neighbour.", she said and removed the lid from the box.

"We do? Um .. what's his .. or, uh ... her name?" He looked tired. Jack spent the most of his days – and nights at the hospital, working, no wonder he didn't have a slightest idea about what happened next door. He never noticed if someone moved in or out, or passed away, all he could ever think about was work.

"It's a her, but I don't know her name don't you ask her?" Said Amy jokingly and took a bite from her salad.

"Yeah, right." He chuckled and got up from the stool and put his mug on the sink.

"When're you supposed to be at the hospital?" asked Amy.

He glanced at his watch. "Shit, um ... five minutes ago," Her brother yelled as he ran out the door.

As he hurried down the stairs he suddenly bumped into something – or _someone_.

The person he'd bumped into had been carrying a cardboard box, and the content that had been in it was now spread all over the hallway floor. He hadn't looked where he was going, all he'd seen was the steps of the staircase.

He looked up. The same brunette Amy'd met in the hallways earlier that day was now staring back into his eyes. He held her gaze just a little too long. She was beautiful. Her brown curls tied up in a messy ponytail.

"I'm so sorry," Jack said and ran his left hand trough his short-cropped dark hair, then quickly bent down, and started to pick up the papers and photos that was spread all over the floor.

At first she just stood there, watching him picking up her memories, putting them back into the box. But then she bent down to help him.

They didn't say a thing 'til everything was back in the box, he picked it up, they stood up and he handed it over to her. "Um, as I said, I'm really sorry" he couldn't stop looking at her, looking into her amazing, green eyes.

"It's okay," She smiled and grabbed the box, "I guess I'll see you around," She said, leaving him standing there in the hallway, speechless.

He, eventually, realised that he was late for work. He rushed to his car and started heading for the hospital.

---

Kate put down the box on the coffee table in her living room, finally, the last one, now all she had to do was to unpack all of them. She made her way over to the couch, it was tricky, since the floor was covered with boxes and plastic bags.

She sighed and picked up the paper from the coffee table, but she found nothing interesting to read about, she leaned back into the couch and smiled. The thought of the man she's bumped into just entered her mind.

Maybe she should be mad at him for not looking where he's going, but he _did_ apologize; twice, but she could just not help it. His short, dark hair and brown eyes ... He was just gorgeous.

The sound of the doorbell sent her back to reality. She put away the paper and got up from the couch.

She wondered who it could be. She didn't know anyone here yet, and her friends couldn't have come all the way from Iowa just to visit her, not that she still had any.

When she opened the door she saw the same teenage girl she'd met earlier in the hallway this afternoon.

"Hi, I'm your new neighbour; Amy." Greeted Amy and continued "I live in the apartment opposite to yours with my older brother Jack."

"Hey, Amy. My name's Kate. Wanna come in?" Kate smiled and stepped aside so that Amy could walk in.

"Sure" She walked passed Kate, trying not to fall over any of the boxes on the floor. She looked around. "Nice place"

"Yeah, it's great. But it could need some new paint" Kate said looking at the white-yellowish walls, they looked almost like someone'd puked on them. "D'you want something – a soda, maybe?"

Kate went over to the kitchen and picked out two cans of coke from the refrigerator and handed one over to Amy.

"Thanks" She said and opened the can.

They went over to sit on the couch.

"So .. your brother is he ... Tall, brown eyed , dark-haired ..." Kate started, but got interrupted by Amy.

"You mean tall, dark and handsome" Amy teased. "Yeah, that's my brother, why?"  
"I kinda bumped into him earlier today, he seemed to be in a hurry – well at first ..."

Amy interrupted her again.

"Ugh, He's such an ass. Lemme' guess, he wasn't looking where he was going? He never does, all he ever thinks about is the hospital, his patients, his paperwork ..." Amy calmed herself down and took a deep breath. "Sorry"

"Hm, he didn't exactly act like one – an ass i mean. Maybe he should have looked where he was going but at least he had time to apologize and help me pick up the photos I dropped."

"Yeah, I know. He's not _really_ an ass. He's a good guy and everything. It's just that ... He doesn't even have time to take care of himself anymore. And even less time for making friends or even being social at all. He's totally out of his mind!"

Amy was now very upset again. She hated how her brother treated himself, always working, he had barely no friends anymore. Except for his Colleagues at the hospital.

Kate felt sorry for the girl sitting next to her, her brother always working, leaving Amy alone; to take care of herself. But she was pretty sure, that even though Amy was hurt because he was never home, she knew that Amy knew what he did was to take care of his little sister. But what about her parents?

"You live with your brother, you're ... well, I don't know exactly how old you are, but not old enough to be on your own. Don't you have any parents to take care of you?"

"They're doing charity work in Africa, so I live with my brother while they're gone, my dad's a surgeon too, so he decided to help out a little." She looked down on her feet, squeezing the cold can in her hands. "But I'm cool with it, I know what they do is to help other people who really needs their help, they need my parents more than I do, I know, but sometimes I wish they could be around more..."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I didn't see my dad much when I was a kid neither. He's a Sergeant, he worked abroad a lot, and I never knew if he'd come home alive – or even come home at all..."

"But you had your mother, right?" Amy hoped that's she'd say yes, hoping that Kate hadn't been all alone, just like she was.

"Yeah, I did" Kate agreed and a small smile lit up Kate's face for a second, but disappeared as she continued:  
"But she gone now, she died of cancer a month ago, so I just couldn't stay, that's why I moved here – to LA."

"Oh, I'm sorry..." Amy said, now feeling more sorry for her than Kate had for Amy.

Before she could continue Amy's phone suddenly started ringing and she quickly picked it out of her pocket and answered.

"It was Jack, He's coming home earlier tonight." Amy said and put her phone back into her jeans pocket. "I should get going," Amy said and got up from the couch.

"It was nice talking to you," Kate said as they were standing by the door.

"Please, give Jack my regards, will you?"  
Amy opened the door. "Of course" Amy stood there for a second considering something.  
"You know what, why don't you come over for dinner tonight? Now when Jack's coming home early and all. I'd be nice to get to know you better – for Jack to finally meet one of his neighbours. He really needs to make some new friends."

"Okay" Kate accepted Amy's invitation, sounding less unsure than she really was.  
"Okay, six o'clock" Amy said and left Kate standing in the doorway, full of bewilderment.

**A/****N**

**Hope you liked it. And it's my first fic ever so REVIEW :D  
And, oh, this Amy is not Ethans mother - I created her myself.  
I've finished the second chapter, but I want at least one review before I put it up here.  
I don't want to keep writing if nobody likes it.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N  
****Here's the second chapter of the girl next door. I'm sorry about**** the grammar, hope it's not too annoying. Tried to correct everything. In this chapter Jack and get will get to know each other a little better. Hope it's not too short. R&R :D  
**

"You invited her to dinner?" Jack asked Amy angrily.

"Her name's Kate, and you really need to meet some new people. Besides you never get home this early, and the few times you do, we never have dinner together." Amy said and finished her shopping list. "here" She handed him the list "You go shopping for groceries and I'll help you cook."

Jack gave up, knowing she was right, he was never home, and they never did anything together, he felt extremely guilty for being such a lousy brother. The least thing he could do was to have dinner with her – and Kate. And she wasn't just right about the fact that he was never home – he should really start meeting new people.

"Fine."

---

"Now, Kate, what did you just say yes to?" Kate asked herself with a sigh as

she went through her closet looking for something to wear. She hadn't been invited to dinner for ... how long – three years maybe.  
When she found out her mother was sick, her social life came to an end.

She didn't exactly care about what she'd been wearing, what she looked like. And now, suddenly, she cared more than ever.

Her closet was full of tank tops and old jeans. She didn't want to look like a slob or anything - she didn't want Jack to look at her as if she was one.

But eventually, she guessed it didn't really matter, they were her neighbours, but she wanted to make a good impression.

She picked out a white t-shirt, a grey cardigan and a pair of skinny jeans. There was no way she could buy new clothes – she had no job, and the money she had left had to go to food and other more necessary things than clothes.

She put the outfit on her bed, walked out of her bedroom and started unpacking a box of old books. But just in time she realized she hadn't set up the bookcase yet.

She left the books and made some space on the living room floor. She was going to put together her IKEA book case that had just arrived the other day. She took out all the loose pieces from the carton and picked up the manual.  
This was her first time ever putting anything like this together.

At first it went pretty well, but just when she'd finished it, and started rising it up, it fell apart, shelves and other loose wooden pieces fell over her.  
"Damn it!" she yelled. "Stupid Swedes." She muttered. She eventually realized she had a deep cut in her shoulder. The blood pouring out and staining her shirt.

"And here comes the pain". She groaned.

She had no idea what to do, but before she could think any more, she heard the doorbell.

She got up from the floor and quickly ran into the bathroom and grabbed a piece of toilet paper and put it on the bleeding wound.

When she opened the door she found Jack, standing there looking slightly worried.  
He was carrying a shopping bag, filled with groceries.

"Are you okay? I just walked by your door and I heard a crash and ..."  
He had noticed the bloody paper Kate was pressing against her shoulder,  
He looked a little shocked at first, but since he was used to seeing blood, he got back to being worried again.

"Oh, It's just a scratch," Kate lied. She didn't want to bother him. And the cut couldn't be that deep.

"Let me take a look at it – I'll be right back" Jack said and rushed down the hall, leaving Kate in the doorway.

Jack swung the door open and put down the groceries on the doormat.  
"Jack's that you?" Amy asked concerned, finding him in the bathroom, looking for something.

---

"Jack, what're you doing?"

Jack found his first aid kit and went out of the bathroom. "I'll be right back, You start cooking. Kate hurt her shoulder so I'm gonna take a look at it." He rushed out of the apartment, leaving Amy alone to prepare the food.

Jack was back in less than a minute. The paper towel Kate used to cover the wound was now dripping of blood.

Kate sat down on a chair and Jack removed the soaked piece of paper from Kate's shoulder.

"Is it bad?" Kate asked as casually as she could, trying to hide her pain.  
"It's hard to tell, I'll have to clean it first, this is gonna sting a little" Jack warned her.

She let out a silent groan as he put the soaked piece of cotton to her wound and washed it carefully.

She looked down at his hands while he worked, almost forgetting about the pain.  
She could tell he had done this many times before, it was almost like he could perform these actions in his sleep.

Kate was amazed about how quick it'd all been. She'd been so caught up in her own thoughts she hadn't even felt the stinging pain in her open wound.

"The cut wasn't as deep as I thought." Jack eventually said, "It probably feels worse than it really is."

He closed the wound up using surgical tape and covering it with a bandage. "Done".

First now, Kate realized she hadn't said a thing since he started taking care of her wound. "Thanks" She gave him a wide smile.

"You're welcome" He returned the smile, but eventually realized how close together their faces were.

Kate thought she might just have gotten that butterflies in the stomach-ish feeling, but she barely knew this guy, so she tried to brush it away and got up from her chair.

An awkward silence filled the room as Jack started packing up his first aid kit.  
Kate just stood there looking at him, like the she'd done earlier this afternoon; when he was picking up her photos – the only memories she had left of her mother.

Jack glanced at his watch. Already 04.45.  
"I think I better help Amy out with the dinner." He said, starting to walk towards the door.

"See you ... Um, six o'clock?" Kate stood with one hand on the door handle, slowly pressing it down. For some strange reason she didn't want him to leave.

"Yeah, six o'clock", Jack smiled, Kate opened the door and he walked passed her,

"And Jack?" Kate shouted after him.

He turned around. "Yeah?"

"Thanks again" Kate said closing the door.

---

As Jack got back from Kate's apartment, the dinner was almost ready. He walked out to the kitchen and found Amy making a salad, cutting tomatoes into small pieces.

She looked up. "How'd it go? Is Kate alright?"

"Yeah, I took care of her. The wound wasn't as deep as I thought" Jack replied and sat down on one of the stools by the island.

"But is she still coming?" Amy looked a little worried.  
"Yep, she is..." Jack smiled but then realized he hadn't helped his sister at all, even though he'd promised her he would. "Is there anything I can do?"  
"You could set the table, I'm almost finished with the salad."

Thirty minutes later dinner was ready and the table was set. All they could do now was wait, Kate wouldn't be here for about twenty minutes.

Amy passed her time by sitting in front of her computer, chatting with her friends. But Jack - he was too restless to do anything but sit on the couch and think of all the things that had happened today.

He'd bumped in to Kate, before he even knew her name, He'd taken care of her when she hurt her shoulder, and in about ten minutes she'd be here, having dinner with him and his sister.

There was just something special about her, but he just couldn't figure out what it was. All he knew was that he liked having her around.

The doorbell rang. "Jack, could you answer the door?" Amy yelled from her room, shutting down her computer.

Jack got up from the couch and walked over to the door. Suddenly he felt nervous, but what for? He took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Hey" Kate's face was lit up in a bright smile, he opened the door a little wider so she could walk passed him.

"Hey, how's your shoulder?" They want over to the couch and sat down to wait for Amy.

"So, um ... How did you hurt your shoulder?" Jack tried to fill out the silence, and he was very curious about what really happened to her.

"Eer, I was trying to put together one of those bookcases from IKEA ... and well it kinda ... fell apart and one of the shelves crashed into my shoulder." She let out a chuckle.

Jack could tell she was nervous, or maybe just uncomfortable, maybe he was sitting too close to her, he scooted away from her a little.

She hadn't seemed to notice, because in the same second Amy came out from her room, walking towards them.

"Hey, sorry, I just had to .. Um, well anyway, you guys hungry?" Amy had purposely stayed in her room, to give Jack and Kate some time alone. But she was too hungry to just sit and wait.

"Starving" said Kate smiling. They got up from the couch and sat down by the table.

The three of them talked for hours; about the other neighbours, where Kate used to live, about the hospital and about school. But when it was nearly twevle o'clock Amy decided it was time to go to bed.

"Well, I better get going, then "Kate said and got up from the table.  
"No, no, you don't have to go just because I'm going to bed, Kate." Amy insisted.  
"I know, but I'm really tired too, and I have a job interview tomorrow morning" Kate continued: "I had a great time" Kate smiled and yawned.

"Good nigh, guys" Amy rushed into her bedroom, closed the door and pressed her left ear against it, curious about what would be said out there.

Followed by Jack, Kate started walking towards the door.  
"Thanks for everything, Jack, and thank Amy for me." Kate smiled. The butterflies were back, more sensible than last time.

"I will" He said, slipping his hand into his jeans pockets. He looked nervous as well.

"Ya know, I could always help you finish that book case ..." Jack started.  
"No, Jack, You've helped me enough. But thanks anyway." Kate didn't exactly know why she wouldn't accept his offer, maybe she was just nervous, so she quickly added: "You don't seem to be made of time, so I don't want to bother you or anything ..." her palms were sweaty, so she tried to wipe them off on her jeans.

"Actually, I have no surgeries tomorrow, so I'm pretty much made of time" Jack smiled, but realized he must look like and idiot.

"If you insist, Okay." Kate returned the smile. "So I'll stop by after my interview tomorrow?"  
"Sure, So see ya tomorrow, then?" Jack's smile wider than ever.  
"Good night, Jack" Kate's shoulder brushed slightly against Jack's when she walked passed him, and exited the door.

"Good night, Kate" Jack replied softly when she no longer could hear him.

**A/N****  
I'm not gonna involve Amy too much, but I cant shut her out comepletely. But I can promise you she won't be too annoying. I know I have to work a little on writing feelings and stuff like that.  
****Hope you can at least tell that Jack and Kate are starting like each other, well if you hadn't noticed – now you know.  
I'm already working on the next chapter, but before I update, I want some reviews! And school starts tomorrow so I'll update as often as I can.**


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